Prior art hold down systems, such as one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,078, typically use a tie-rod that extends inside a stud wall from the foundation to the top floor. Field conditions and the quality of the installer are such that the tie-rod may not be installed perpendicular to the cross or bridge member to which the tie-rod is to be secured. In such a situation, the bearing surface of the bridge member and the hold down device may not align properly for good bearing contact due to the out-of vertical position of the tie-rod. The resulting installation may not be satisfactory since full contact between bearing surfaces of the various components of the system is not achieved, thereby compromising the integrity of the system.
Another problem encountered with prior art hold down devices is that sometimes the installer forgets to activate the device after installation. The problem is sometimes discovered after the wall has been closed, thus causing a lot of expense to correct the problem.
Yet another problem with prior art device is the need of using a tool to load the spring in a hold down device. When a hold down device comes preloaded from the factory, and an installer accidentally releases the lock and allows the compressed spring inside to expand, to reset the spring would typically require a tool which may not be available to the installer.